Erika Megan Sharpton, called Megan by her family and friends set out the evening of July 1 to interview for a new job on her only day off.

At 24, Megan was committed to her education in her nursing program and she was anxious to secure a position in line with her studies and gain some relevant experience.

Facebook Photo

Megan’s partially charred remains were discovered by a motorist at 1:18AM the morning of July 2, 2012 while observing what he thought was a holiday brush fire. Megan was doused with gasoline and set ablaze very shortly before.

Mercifully, she was deceased by that time and investigators believe she met her end somewhere else. The reporter of the grass fire who backed up twice into the gravel pull off area for a closer look identity has not been released.

Finding Megan was the start of the discovery of a deadly lure by a man who is no stranger to the law, and investigators know his identity.

Speaking on the sole condition of anonymity, a source has confirmed to www.blinkoncrime.com that Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Franklin County Sheriffs Department (FCSD) and law enforcement personnel from surrounding Coffee and Bedford counties have identified a suspect based on a forensic match to evidence found at the scene.

The starry and promising young woman who used to donate items and volunteer for programs that support the underprivileged and homeless was beaten, sexually assaulted and burned from her nude waist down. While several reports of her cause of death indicate blunt force trauma, investigators have not released additional details that would likely only be known to the suspect.

S. Christina Stoy, Editor In Chief, reached Kelly Hale Sharpton earlier today and asked the bereaved mother if she had been given the information about a DNA match to a suspect.

..”The FCPD has asked that we do not discuss any of the case sensitive details publicly so I cannot address your question directly. I will say that I met with the prosecutor Michael Taylor and expressed my great concern that an arrest be made immediately based on information I was told. He declined and I showed him a picture of Megan and I and told him he could not allow this to happen to someone else and this was Megan’s way of stopping this and I am frustrated with the decision to wait for an indictment of the man who murdered my child. Chief Fuller and Det Chris Guess have been a phenomenal support and I trust them without reservation and I believe they are equally frustrated..”

Megan had two star tattoos on her neck to honor her siblings, as well as three others. She had refused a potential job offer last Fall because her sister was expecting and she was concerned that she would have to leave immediately if she were to go into labor.

When Megan’s mother Kelly saw a post on facebook about the woman found at the base of the bridge had star tattoos, she immediately knew it was her child.

Megan fought her attacker like a banshee. A t 5’9″ banshee was no match.

On July 2nd in the afternoon, Meg’s 1995 red mustang was found in the middle of three forked bridge road in Bedford county TN. It was approximately 15 miles from where her remains were located.

Her neon pink purse, complete with her normal belongings, cards and cash was located in a creek off Fletcher Rd- apparently tossed from the bridge five miles from the Awalt bridge. A grandfather spending time with his two grandchildren discovered it and upon returning home googled the drivers license information to find a phone number for Megan. The good Samaritan was shocked to learn her fate and immediately called Franklin County Investigators.

Her keys, phone, birks, pants and undergarments have not been recovered.

As is usual and customary, police have interviewed the registered sex offenders in the area and have not commented on those results.

Editors at www.blinkoncrime.com have learned that one such individual lives within a few acres of the Awalt bridge location whose family also owns property in close proximity to the purse finding.

Will this be a situation that leads to a known and very dangerous predator who was allowed community supervision after an entire life of crime and felony convictions that include aggravated and sexual offenses?

Is their multiple family members with similar backgrounds living in the same home? Did someone familiar with LE technique intentionally try to point a finger at a fellow RSO?

He is in the system, he is dangerous, the public is at risk.

In my first analysis of this case, with few details, I though t it possible that it may be connected to missing Darden nursing student Holly Bobo as well as that of Michaela “Mickey” Shunick. Holly has been missing since April 2011 and Mickey was located deceased last month after her killer, Brandon Lavergne, led investigators to her body following a plea agreement.

Lavergne is now serving a life sentence for the murder of Liz Pate in 1999 and Shunick.

Lavergne has every preliminary indicator he could be a serial and he has ties to the disappearance of Spring Texas teen Ali Lowitzer. He was interviewed at length while incarcerated in previous missing women’s cases years ago- he was on the radar for someone as at least capable of such atrocity but he would kill at least one more woman that we know of before his final lock up.

Investigators were not fortunate enough to have a CODIS match in that case.

What’s the hold up exactly? I might opine to all those hesitant prosecutors out there- an interim victim because you do not want the next CSI effect theory acquittal on your watch is not ok. It will be on your permanent record and if that is not enough of a motivator imagine yourself on Nancy Grace explaining your “rationale.” Or worse, to another grief saturated parent.

Arrest now, indict later-

This is a local. This is someone who knows enough about the area and it’s boundaries to plop three different crime scenes in 3 different counties.

He brought petral to light up the 4th in an entirely sadistic way and someone with that knack for overt display is not going to fade to black .

With no evidence that Ms. Sharpton was attacked at the scene where her car was found abandoned in the middle of the road and a hand drawn map to nowhere inside, the assumption this may be a disorganized offender escalation pattern by some trigger is a strong possibility.

Keeping in mind from a forensic standpoint that in an open atmosphere, it is nearly impossible to burn a human body before detection and in this case very little actually was.

The assumption that the suspect was nearby and felt he would be away from the scene quickly should be a consideration.

Megan’s car, purse and remains were all placed in areas of certain immediate detection when the dense wooded areas just yards away would have provided the cover and secrecy needed to stall her recovery to date.

This crime is the work of a dangerous and psychopathic killer who had every intention of being acknowledged as such.

This monster treated this child as a human flare- waiting to present to a grand jury in a case like this is irresponsible in my not so humble opinion.

He is in the system, he is dangerous, the public is at risk. Arrest now indict later.

Franklin County Chief Tim Fuller did not return a request for comment at the time of this publication.

Kristin Helm, PIO Tenesee Bureau of Investigation declined to comment on a case where they are assisting and not the lead agency.

Related Posts:

116 Comments

Are locals in this county throwing a fit with this DA? I can’t believe that someone isn’t demanding the DA get off the pot and that those higher up the ladder, state level, aren’t pushing as the publicity of something like this before elections can be detrimental to someone’s campaign. Anyone out there that can enlighten the rest of us? I am all for signing a petition or whatever it takes. I am out of state but to think that more lives are at stake is beyond comprehension.

Has the DA publicly stated his reason for no arrest yet? If TN law warrants an arrest prior to indictment, then what’s his reason for waiting, especially if it’s a public safety concern? Even if there are multiple suspects, why not arrest at least the person(s) whose DNA evidence is irrefutable? People have to be up in arms over there and demanding answers. I just hope it doesn’t take another crime by this/these person(s) to wake up the DA.

Twink, I forgot to link a group of stories for anyone interested in the Swift case. The long story contains the craziness of her husband when he ‘discovered her missing’ and told her vehicle was on the road with a flat tire.

Yes, Word Girl, it is pretty clear David is gearing up for a defense. What I don’t understand is how on earth LE has not learned its lesson from Josh Powell’s reaction to being cornered. If they are going to arrest David, they better be swift (no pun intended).

I am an idiot, sorry..I use your side menu all the time and I spaced “Erika”, she is Megan to me. It is your fault anyway for giving us so much to ponder as of late on multiple stories. I need to slow my mind down.

[...] September 7, 2012 with the Tullahoma Police Department, a man named Donnie Frank Jones identified HIMSELF as the suspect in the murder of Megan Sharpton. Jones acted out in an intimidating and [...]